Tevez cleared to play

The Premier League on Friday night confirmed Carlos Tevez is available to play for West Ham for the rest of the season after a new contractual agreement was reached over the Argentina striker.

West Ham had been told Tevez was ineligible to play unless they cancelled the third party agreement that existed in his original contract or amended it to the satisfaction of the Premier League.

However, the club have made quick progress on a new agreement and released a statement on Friday night, which read: "Following discussions with the FA Premier League, West Ham United can confirm Carlos Tevez is available for selection for the rest of the season, including Saturday's game against Wigan Athletic."

The statement continued: "The actual registration of Carlos Tevez has not been called into question and he remains a West Ham United player approved by the Premier League."

Tevez's immediate future appeared to be in some doubt after West Ham were handed a record £5.5million fine for breaching Premier League rules over the signings of the South American and his international team-mate Javier Mascherano.

That essentially meant West Ham would have to stump up around £20million to buy Tevez outright or come to a genuine loan deal with the player's part-owner Kia Joorabchian.

The contractual ruling was handed down by the same independent tribunal which on Friday fined the club for breaking two Premier League rules relating to the signings of Tevez and Mascherano - who has since moved to Liverpool - last August.

West Ham escaped a points deduction that would have virtually confirmed their relegation, but the club were deemed to have been "responsible for dishonesty and deceit".

The panel concluded: "We are of the view that these are exceedingly serious allegations because they amount to not only an obvious and deliberate breach of the rules but a grave breach of trust as to the FAPL (Premier League) and it's constituent members because in our finding the club has been responsible for dishonesty and deceit.

"These breaches....could have merited a points deduction and thus the financial penalty must reflect that."